


Limerence

by LavenderMochi



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: AU, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Modern AU, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 02:17:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14415498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LavenderMochi/pseuds/LavenderMochi
Summary: It was spring break. Vio did not intend to spend it acting in Red's theater play. He did not intend to spend it helping Blue get with Red. And he certainly did not intend to spend it falling in love.





	1. Chapter 1

 

“Hey, bookworm.”

Vio did not look up from his book or bat an eye, “Hello, Blue.”

Blue threw his backpack on the ground, plopping heavily next to Vio under the tree. Blue let out a big sigh, which sounded irritated, but Blue said nothing as he rested his head back onto the rough bark of the tree. But it was funny, really. Blue exuded an atmosphere that was tense, and Vio could tell—in fact, it was very obvious—that Blue wanted to tell him something.

Vio closed his book, more so because Blue was distracting him rather than wanting to strike up a conversation with Blue. But even as he stared at Blue, Blue didn't speak, as if he was trying to collect his thoughts before speaking. Vio glanced to the open field of the empty park, focusing on the soft green-orange hue of the grass under the light of the setting sun. The soft early-spring breeze blew gently across the acres of plain, rolling along the grass like waves. Vio inhaled, stretching, and at the same time, Blue inhaled, too.

“So, I bumped into Red today.” Blue muttered finally, crossing his arms and absentmindedly biting his nail.

“Oh, you did?” Vio asked, looking to Blue with a raised brow.

“Yeah, uh. He, um, told me he wanted to talk to you about something.” Blue said, “Something about his theater project at school or whatever. If you find him, you should talk to him about it. 'Seemed like it would be your thing.”

“Oh. Well, that's thoughtful of him.”

“Yeah.” Blue tittered, blushing. Blue clenched his jaw, frowning. Vio knew what that meant; that was the face Blue made when he was thinking too much. “Vio, you've been my friend ever since kindergarten. I need to confess something that's been on my mind lately.”

“Go on.” Vio said.

“Um, well...It would seem that, uh...how to put this...I'm much...um...less brave when it comes to this kinda thing.” _This kinda thing being asking Red out_ , Vio thought to himself, but let Blue to continue to speak, “I don't know if he likes me, y'know, like _that_ , and if that's the case, then I don't want to ruin a perfectly good friendship. A-and don't think of me as soft or nothing for it! I just care about the kid, that's all!”

“ Blue, I know.” Vio said, shaking his head, “But how are you going to know if you never ask?”

“Yeah.” Blue huffed, “Well, at least I'll have all of spring break to think about it.”

“Yeah, I suppose you do.”

Blue 'hmph'ed and lingered there for a moment before hurling himself up to his feet and picking up his backpack, “Well, gotta go.  I gotta go to the skate park before sun's down.”

“Oh, you do?” Vio looked to the sky which was slowly turning purple, then to the watch on his wrist, “I should go, too. It's getting late.”

Blue offered his hand to Vio  and hoisted him up to his feet. Vio brushed the dirt off his garments.

“So, catch ya later?” said Blue.

Vio nodded, “Catch ya later.”

\-----

Vio's apartment was modest and small. Besides not having the money to live extravagantly, Vio preferred  the coziness . The apartment had one sole couch facing a stuffed bookcase opposite of it, and double doors to go onto the balcony in the living room. And the dining room-kitchen hybrid was the next room over, and in the back room was his bedroom.  It was simple, but it was home.

And it wasn't far from anything. The school was only several blocks down, and the library and cafe were a couple blocks away. And the park was a bit further, but not a hike.

Upon entering, Vio threw the keys onto the table and took off his shoes. The first thing he did was return the book back on the shelf of the bookcase, and then picked another one to read at random. The book was actually a play, and it was about  Henry David  Thoreau, one of Vio's personal favorites.

So then, Vio walked to the kitchen to make dinner. Dinner was usually something small, like a ham and cheese sandwich made with the leftover bread he had, or an apple and a bagel. Vio wouldn't dare try to cook something because he knew he would have burnt it—he knew he would be too occupied with reading rather than cooking, and he wasn't dumb enough to try.

And so, whilst scarfing down his dinner, Vio made his way to his room, planning on taking a shower and spending the rest of the quiet night reading his book.

“Maybe tomorrow I'll go to the cafe.” Vio muttered to himself—a habit of his, “Maybe I can invite Blue.”

Vio shrugged and set his book down, preparing himself for his shower.

Tomorrow would be a peaceful day.

\-----

The next morning, Vio was up before the birds could sing. Blue would call him crazy, but Vio was so used to school days that he never really broke the habit of waking before the sun was up. But anyway, according to his daily schedule, Vio took the extra hours to read, which was just typical of Vio. But before that, Vio grabbed a small couplet of sour cream before heading out onto the balcony. It was drizzling slightly, but Vio didn't mind all the much. He liked the dirt smell of rain and the sound was soothing.

So, he opened his book and began reading from where he left off—really, not that far in.  And he g ot pretty far into the book before he  was  interrupted by a small voice asking for his attention. Vio lean ed over the balcony railing curiously, and spo t t ed a red-clad figure below, waving his hand in greeting.

“Hello, Vio! Good morning!” sa id the bright- eyed Red  from all the way down on the sidewalk.

Vio set his book down and he grin ned from ear-to-ear. Something about Red's optimistic aura  was as soothing as the rain, not to forget to mention  highly  contagious.

“ Good morning, Red.” Vio shout ed back, waving.

Red lingered there for moment, then perked up suddenly as if he was frightened,  “Oh! Vio!  I just remembered! I need ed to talk to you  about something !  Would it bother you to come down now?” Red  requested, swaying from side-to-side.

“ Just give me a minute.” Vio said, hopping to his feet.

Vio raced inside his apartment and quickly put on his shoes before swiftly making way down the rusted metal steps of the complex. Vio found Red standing in the rain under his umbrella and sloshing about in the puddles and humming to himself.

“Yes?” Vio asked, catching Red's attention.

“ Oh! Vio! You're here! Wait- what is that you're reading?” Red asked suddenly, glancing to the book in Vio's hand.

Vio lifted it up, looking at it, “It's the play  _The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail_ .”

“Woah. That can't be just a coincidence.” Red mumbled, mostly to himself, or so Vio guessed.

“Um...So, what is it, Red?”

“ Hmm? Oh, yeah.  I just wanted to  ask you if \- oh, but you're getting  all wet! Here, take my umbrella.” Red said,  offering the umbrella.

“Oh, no, Red, I don't mind.” Vio shook his head, though he had to admit that the dampness was becoming irritating, “What did you need me for?”

“We should go to the cafe, first,”  Red suggested, “and talk for a while. I haven't seen you since, well, I guess two days ago at school.”

“I was planning on going to the cafe, so that's fine.” Vio agreed.

“ Great! It's only a couple blocks down! You're lucky to live here!” Red said,  and beckoned Vio to follow him down the street. Vio did, of course. “So, I ran into Blue  a few days back when I was walking.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.  He was working on something really cool! It looked like calligraphy art.” Red said, “He's really good at it, y'know?”

“It's one of his little knacks.” Vio said, partially agreeing.

“I wonder how he picked up the skill.” Red pondered, then giggled, “He looked really nervous when I asked about it. Maybe it's like a secret talent!”

Vio grinned to himself, “Maybe.”

So, the two continued walking. Red kicked up the water as they walked, laughing happily without a care in the world. Vio felt endeared by the sight of it. Something about Red was so relieving. Vio k n ew exactly why Blue liked him so much.

Anyway, the cafe wasn't far from Vio's apartment, really.  The cafe  itself  was small considering it was close to the center of the city. Its exterior was cream in color and sha dowed by a red and white striped awning.

Vio  rushed up to  push open the door, which rung daintily upon his entering,  and Red skipped in as Vio followed .  Upon entering, t he smell of coffee  grew  warm in his nose and the atmosphere felt  quiet. It was a harsh change from the outside, as Vio hadn't even realized how loud the wind and hissing rain actually was.

Vio took several steps in. Behind the counter, familiar faces from school, Vaati and Zelda, dressed both in red aprons and red pinstriped shirts, greeted him and Red. Vio walked up to the counter with Red by his side.

“Hello, Vaati and Zelda!” Red greeted back.

“I can take you here, Sweetie.” Zelda said sweetly, patting the counter to usher Red to come closer.

But Vio remained in front of Vaati, who smiled and asked, “The usual? Hazelnut latte, sweetened?”

“Yeah.” Vio said, reaching into his back pocket to pull out money, which he then set on the counter.

Vaati took it, humming, “So, how's your morning?”

“It's good. Spring break is a welcome change from studying all the time.” Vio said, though he didn't mind studying at all, really.

“And not waking up at the crack o'dawn.” Vaati muttered,  brushing a loose strand of his lavender hair from his face nonchalantly.

“Yeah.”

Vaati proceeded to grab a cup from the rack, but Zelda approached the two whilst holding a cup filled to the brim with Vio's order. She placed it on the counter with a wide smile.

“Oh!” Vaati exclaimed, “Well, um, here you go Vio.”

“Thank you, Zelda.” Vio said.

“Made with only the best sweetener!” Zelda said  in her usual peppy manner , winking.

Vio took it with a smile, and turned to find Red, who was sitting at one of the tables by the window. On the window, a  yellow decal spelled out the name of the cafe backwards—Keaton's Cafe.

Vio took the seat opposite of Red and brought the mug of coffee to his lips to take a sip. Red turned from looking at the window to Vio.

“So! What I wanted to discuss with you was about my up-coming theater play.” Red said.

Ah, of course.  Red's theater play. Something he had been arranging for months now, Vio recalled, ever since he was transferred to the school. Vio didn't know what it was about, but he knew Red was in charge of the entire operation, and that the school was allowing him to use the  school theater for the entirety of spring break  to put on a show.

“Oh, yeah. How is that coming along?” Vio inquired.

“Well. I have most of the props, and the sets are painted, and the cast- well...” Red mumbled, “Well, the thing is, I don't have my lead.”

“Well, that's just swell.”  Vio remarked.

“Yeah. But that's why I needed to talk to you.” Red said, fidgeting with his fingers, “Vio, I don't want to ask too much of you, and I know you're busy, but could you...well, would you be interested in taking the lead role?”

“What!?”

“Wait! Hear me out!” Red plead, “I know  this is so out of the blue,  but I think this part is meant for you!  I just thin k the character suits you really well. Especially since, well, s ee, the play is about that!”

“ About w hat?”

“ _That!_ ” Red said, pointing to the book nestled in Vio's hand.

Vio stared dumbly at Red. And then to the book. And back to Red.

“Red, I can't be in your play. I've never acted in one before.” Vio said, “And who's to say I'll be any good if I try?”

“No, wait, Vio. I'm sure this is meant to be! You've read the book before, have you?”

“More than enough times to recite it.” Vio said, “But that's not the issue. I'm not...Red, I'm not an actor.”

Red, leaned back onto his chair, his eyes pleading like a puppy's, “I understand that, Vio.” A pause, “Then, will you think about it, at least, before ruling it out completely? If you could come to practice today with me, you can get a feel for the stage and then decide.”

Vio thought for a second. What Red was asking wasn't bad, and it would be nice to have the experience under his belt,  at least . Vio inhaled,  “ That's not unreasonable.  As long as- well, i s there any change to the script at all?”

Red shook his head, “I made sure the play stayed true to the book. Because I like the book, too.”

“That's good.” Vio said, then sighed, “Alright, Red. I'll try it.”

“Great!” Red squealed, perhaps a little too loudly, but neither Vio nor the baristas minded, “Then, I'll see you, right? At the school theater at two-ish?”

“Yes, you will.”

“Yay! Thank you, Vio!” Red cheered, leaping off his chair and wrapping his arms around Vio's shoulder s to give him a warm hug  in thanks.

\-----

“ So, what?” Blue asked, leaning onto a one of the many bookshelves of the library  with his arms crossed , “Let me get this straight. Red asked you to be the lead role in his theater?”

“Yes, Blue.” Vio sighed, pulling out a book from the shelf, “And I need to meet with him at the school in about two hours.”

“That's cool. I kinda get it, too. You have that 'Thoreau' vibe about you. He was smart, wasn't he?”

“Smart was not  all that he was.” Vio said, but decided not to elaborate lest he start rambling.

“So, how do you think it's going to go?” Blue asked, “Are you actually interested, or are you doing this just because?”

“Because of...?”

“I don't know.” Blue snorted, “But, hey, listen, if this does work out...you'll be hanging around Red much more than before.”

Vio turned to Blue, eyebrows raised, “Your point?”

Blue grinned, looking over his shoulder in pseudo nonchalance, “Maybe I could tag along or something. I don't know.”

“ I guess you could.” Vio shrugged,  then resumed skimming through the  synopsis of the book in his hand , “ So,  how was your day at the skate park yesterday? Did you manage to stay on the board?”

“Eh.” Blue  grunted , unamused , then rolled his eyes, “You know I don't skate.”

“Uh-huh. I kinda figured. What were you doing at the skate park?”

“Eh...” Blue rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “Well, I was, um, sketching the street signs with different calligraphy styles.”

“Red was there, wasn't he?” Vio asked, but he didn't need to hear Blue to know the answer.

“Yeah.” Blue said, looking to ceiling as he tried to recall the afternoon from two days ago, “Only a chain-linked fence stood in-between me and him. And that could both be a good and bad thing.”

“Did you talk to him, at least?” Vio asked, even though he was sure Blue hadn't.

“Um, no, actually.” Blue said, “He was hanging out with this other kid. Kinda taller than him. Purple hair. I didn't see his face, but it looked like it was his brother.”

“ Huh.” Vio scrunched his eyebrows together, “I don't think Red has a brother.”

“I hope he does.” Blue muttered, obviously despondent, “I t would save me from making pointless excuses to myself.”

Vio glanced to the watch on his wrist. It read a quarter before two. Vio  returned the book in its rightful place and turned to face Blue.

“I have to go. It's almost two.” Vio said and put a reassuring hand on Blue's shoulder, “Hey,  I'll see you later, right?”

“Yeah. I might crash at your place for a while.” Blue said.

“Fine, just don't make such a big mess.” Vio said as he walked away  to exit the library.

“I won't make any promises.”  Blue mumbled behind him.

Vio rolled his eyes. Oh well.

\-----

The school seemed bigger on the inside than it did on the outside, and Vio was sure the dirty brick and the rusted white metal doors were not helping. The school was placed in a rather large field of overgrown weeds, save for the field in the back used for sports. The auditorium was located to the right of the school beside the art room. There was a way to get in from the side of the auditorium building rather than the front doors, so Vio took that path instead.

Vio heaved open the heavy grey door, and the cool, dry air of the theater blew in his face. The smell was like dusty upholstery,  and  aged wood and paint. The place was dimly lit compared to outside, save for the stage, which had beams of light illuminating its yellow-wood flooring. In the corner of his eye, Vio caught a  r ed- clad figure pacing around on the stage.

“Hello, Red.” Vio greeted, instantly catching the younger's attention.

“Ah, Vio! I was waiting for you!” Red shouted from the stage excitedly,  and then he pointed to another door, which Vio presumed was the way onto the stage, “C'mon to the stage when you're ready!  Don't be a stranger!”

Vio took the handle of the door and yanked it open, revealing a small staircase and clouds of dust bunnies floating about. In fact, there were two staircases behind the little door—one straight ahead to the backrooms of the theater and one to his left going up to the stage. Vio concluded the other side of the stage must be identical. Anyway, Vio took several cautious steps up until his feet finally made contact with the rickety floorboards of the stage. Red was there to greet him with a wide grin.

“ So, are you liking it so far?” Red asked.

“It's alright.” Vio said, strolling past Red to the center of the stage.

Vio felt overwhelmed, slightly, stand ing in the center of such a big place  with blinding lights, but his stance on the stage felt comfortable the longer he stood there.  _Yeah_ , he thought,  _I could get used to this_ .

“S o?” Red asked in anticipation, “Do you want to try acting?”

Vio breathed in, and cracked a small smile, “That's what I'm here for, right?”

Red's smile grew from ear-to-ear, “Great! Let's act out the scene in the beginning with Bailey and Henry.”

“Oh, uh, okay.” Vio stuttered, looking around as if he was unsure where to put himself.

But Red just laughed and shook his head, his laugh echoes among the empty rows of seats the two were about to perform for. Red set his hand on Vio's shoulder.

“Just relax. Breathe.” Red said, smiling, “And just have fun!”

_Relax, breath, and have fun_ , Vio thought to himself, repeating it in his head several times. Vio return the smile, feeling less nervous than before.

_This can't be too hard_ .

 


	2. Chapter 2

“ I got the part.” Vio announced as he walked into his apartment.

Blue lifted his head from face-planting on the couch cushion, and he looked to Vio with a slightly tired, slightly surprised expression. Blue heaved himself up to a seated position and yawned.

“Congratulations.” Blue mumbled mid-yawn, smacking his lips and rubbing his eyes from sleep, “So, I take it Red liked your audition?”

“Apparently I was meant for the stage.” Vio said, taking his shoes off and strolling into the living room.  Vio stood in front of Blue, his hands on his hips,  “The official rehearsal is tonight at eight. And  Red plans to officially run the play sometime this weekend or next weekend. He doesn't know yet. Oh, and,” Vio cleared his throat, grinning, “ h e says it's okay for friends to tag along.”

Blue's eyes lit up and he smile d, “That's great.”

“ So,” Vio said,  taking a seat  next to Blue  on the sofa and leaning onto the armrest , “ c an I bet that you'll be there tonight at the rehearsal?”

Blue leaned back on the couch, a lopsided grin on his face, “ You'd make good money off that bet.”

Vio  smiled knowingly , turning his nose in the air haughtily, “I know.”

\-----

At around six, Vio and Blue arrived at the auditorium. The whole time, Blue was silent, but Vio knew too well that it was because he was getting nervous. But Blue would never admit that. Vio thought it was kinda cute, actually... which was probably why Blue didn't want to admit it. Anyway, as soon at the two walked in, they were greeted by Red, who was cheerful as always.

“Vio! I am glad you could make it!” Red said, and turned to Blue, who was standing next to Vio with a rosy-cheeked face, “And Blue! You came to watch the rehearsal!”

“Ah-hem,” Blue cleared his throat, looking away from Red to hide his fluster, “Yeah. This whole play thing is...exciting.”

“Well, I'm glad you think so!” Red said, then  hopped up on the stage,  turning to face the seats of the auditorium , “H ello everybody !  Welcome, and thank you so much for coming to our first rehearsal!  My name is Red and I am the director of this play.  Without further ado, let's get right to the first scene!”

Red turned on his heel and adjusted the props behind him, then motioned to Vio  and another actor  to get into the bed-like prop s on the stage. Red snapped his fingers, and the lights went dim, focusing on the scene on the stage. Footsteps marched onto the stage, and a voice spoke, suddenly.

“What was his name?” spoke a smooth, dark voice—which, Vio concluded in his head, was the voice of the character, Waldo.

“Whose name?” said a feminine voice—the voice of the character Lydian.

“I've forgotten the name of my best friend!” shouted the voice passionately.

“Did you ever have a best friend?”

“The boy. Who put the gloves on the chickens.”

“Henry?”

A pause.

“I always thought his name was David.”

Vio sighed.  _That line isn't right_ , he thought to himself. Nevertheless, the scene continued, and Vio remained motionless on the bed.

The light shone onto the 'mother' character, “David Henry! What have you gone and done?”

Vio rose from the cot on-cue, looking at the 'mother.'

“I have not gone and done anything, mother.” Vio spoke, even as he felt daunted by the stage lights blind his vision, “I have gone and not done something. Which very much needed the not doing.”

“Oh, good heavens!” shouted the mother, turning towards the left of the stage, “Louisa! David Henry's gone and not done something again!”

“Henry David.”

“David Henry, you're being strange again.”

“He was strange.” spoke 'Waldo,' looking out in a distance, “He was strange. I almost understood him.”

“Sometimes.” said 'Lydian.'

“Sometimes I don't know who you are.” said 'mother.'

“I am myself, mother.” Vio said.

“Alright!” Red shouted from the audience, climbing up onto the stage again, “Cut! That was good! Some small mistakes here and there, but otherwise great! Vio, Vaati, Zelda,  Erune—excellent. Shadow, remember not to be too harsh on the third line. And remember, it's not 'I always thought his name was David,' it's-”

“Right. 'I keep thinking his name is David.'”

“Exactly. Okay, let's take it from the top! Vio, Vaati, Zelda, Erune, Shadow, if you could please return to your starting positions.” Vio slipped back into his cot  and Red promptly shouted, “ Okay, now then! From the first line!  Three, two, one, and....action!”

\-----

“ And that concludes this evening's rehearsal! Thank you all so much for coming!  I am excited by the progress we made! This play is going to be great!” Red said, again from on top of the stage, “Oh,  and I will see you tomorrow at six for the second rehearsal.  Then we can complete act one and get started on making the costumes. Thank you, and have a good night!”

Red hopped down from the stage, and walked through the bustle of leaving people to get to Vio and Blue, who were seated in wait for the foot traffic to clear up.

“Vio, you were amazing! I always knew that part was for you!” Red said, hugging the purple-clad around his midriff.

“Thank you.”

“And Blue?”

Blue jumped, looking completely off-guard, and he blushed, looking away from Red's bright blue eyes, “Oh, yeah, the play was really good. Vio, you look...really good.”

“ Thank you! Yeah, so far, so good, but I don't want to jinx it!” Red giggled, and to Vio, Blue looked like he might faint. Maybe because Blue looked like he was holding his breath. “There's still a lot left to do. I need to make costumes, some props, and- oh, the  _fliers_ ! I haven't even thought of that!” Red said, slapping his palm onto his forehead.

Blue let out the puff of air he was hold in his mouth and blurted out, “Wait, fliers? Like, for the set?”

Red sighed, shaking his head, “No, for advertisement. I meant to design it yesterday to print it today, but I never got around to doing it. I was too nervous for the first rehearsal, and I was worried about the missing lead-”

“I can do it.”

Vio looked at Blue. It looked like Blue was holding his breath again, just waiting for Red to answer. In an instant, Red's face lit up and he grinned from ear to ear.

“You'd do it? For me?”

“ Y-yeah. Of course, Red. I l-” Blue inhaled, wincing to himself before quickly recomposing and continuing, “You're my friend.”

“ Aw, thank you, Blue! That helps me a ton!” Red squealed, wrapping his arms around Blue to hug him in thanks.

Blue looked frozen for a minute, his face beet red from the tips of his ears to his nose. Vio was tempted to laugh, but for the sake of Blue, didn't.

“Then, will I see you tomorrow?”

Blue coughed, as if he was, again, caught off-guard, which Vio guessed he probably was. “Yeah.”

Red spun around happily, “Great! Oh, and I'll see you then, too, Vio!”

“Yup!”

“Okay! Have a good night, then!” Red said, spinning on his heel and skipping away, waving back to the two as they stood there in the auditorium.

“Bye...” Blue muttered, watching until Red was nowhere to be seen. Blue instantly turned to Vio, panicked, “Was that okay?! Did I say too much?! Oh, goodness, I totally messed up! Red probably thinks I'm crazy! He probably thinks I'm a creep! The whole time I was holding my face and turning in the a beet!” Blue threw his hands in the air, and crossed them angrily, pouting. He then covered his face with hand hand and groaned, “Oh, I totally messed up.”

“Hey.” Vio nudged Blue's shoulder, to which Blue responded to with a dejected grunt, “At least look on the bright side. You basically got yourself a date?”

Blue looked up from his hand and grimaced to Vio shaking his head, “Stop it.”

Vio grinned, “But it's true.”

Blue scoffed, taking a couple steps away, “Whatever. I'm gonna hoof it outta here.  Mind if I crash at your place again?”

“Go right ahead. I'll follow you out, just give me a moment to collect my things.” Vio said—things meaning his sweater and the copy of his book, wherever he put them.

Blue spun around and marched out without another word, letting Vio do his own thing as he did his. Vio sighed, looking around the impressively sized auditorium.

“ So, now. Where did I put them?” Vio asked himself, peering under the chairs.

Right at that moment, Vio turned aroun d, nearly bumping into another body he didn't even know was there. Vio squeaked in surprise and jump ed back, his head pounding in his chest.

“ Oh!” Vio gasped upon realizing it was only another fellow actor—the one who played Waldo, or at least that was what Vio remembered. “I thought I was the only one here.”

“Me too.”  he said, looking at Vio up and down, “So,  _you're_ the last-minute Henry David Thoreau.” his voice, at least to Vio sounded unreasonably bitter.

Vio frowned, “Yeah. My name is Vio.” Vio held out his hand.

The other scoffed, flicking his purple hair superciliously, “Shadow.”  Shadow said, looking to Vio with narrowed, icy blue eyes, “ Are you new to the stage?”

“ Yeah. You could say that.”

“Hm.” Shadow grunted, frowning, “Fine. Alright.” Shadow picked up his jacket from a chair and slung it over his shoulder, “Bye.”

“Bye, wha-” Vio said as Shadow rudely shoved passed him and out of the auditorium. Vio huffed, patting down his sleeve. “Whatever.”

Vio searched around for a little while longer—it didn't take him that long to find them sprawled on the floor, tossed aside from the seat he had put it on. Oh well.

Vio picked up his sweater and his book, and walked out of the auditorium to follow Blue back to his apartment.

\-----

When Vio walked in, Blue was already soundly asleep on the couch, his arm twisted at an odd angle. Vio guessed that Blue was exhausted. After all, it was late, perhaps even close to midnight. Vio, on the other hand, felt oddly awake in the silent hours of the night. Save for Blue's gentle snoring.

Vio walked into the kitchen and began to brew water in his electric kettle for a cup of soothing tea. In the meantime, he left to his bedroom to change into something more comfortable than street clothes. Waiting, he leaned against the counter and began reading a book again. It was the same one, in fact, as he had been reading and acting out this whole time. Vio was revising where the rehearsal left off. The dramatic scene when the main character's brother dies. Vio sighed.

“There's no way I'll live up to Red's expectations. I'm not even that expressive. How could I be a good actor?” Vio questioned himself softly, looking to the ceiling in thought.

A few moments of silence passed until the click of the kettle signified that the water was boiled. Vio poured it into a cup and dropped a lavender-chamomile teabag in the liquid, stirring it briefly once with a spoon before tucking the book under his arm and walking towards the balcony.

Vio opened the door slowly as not to stir Blue from his sleep and took a step outside into the fresh, tepid outside air. The air was a bit humid and the concrete balcony and chair were still damp from rainwater. Vio sat on the chair nevertheless, set his tea down on the ground, and attempted to read in the dimness of the night. Only the constant sound of cicadas irritated his ears.

Until Vio heard a small 'thump' coming from on top of him. Vio looked upwards. Thump. Thump. Thump.

“What in the world...” Vio muttered under his breath, standing and leaning over the railing to see if something was up with his downstairs neighbor. Only, that was ridiculous because his downstairs neighbor was sleeping on his couch.

Vio looked up to the sky. A small raindrop dripped onto his cheek from the rood. Vio wiped away the wetness, looking at the rain on his fingers before wiping it onto his pajama pants and shrugging.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Vio sighed, looking from side to side. Now, really. What in the world was that sound? Or, a better question was, Vio thought to himself, where was that sound coming from?

Vio froze when he heard a voice.

“ John, th re e mornings ago, happened to think of something very funny while he was shaving.”

Vio gasped. That was the part in his book that he was reading! Vio looked to the book as if it had done something unforgivable, then he resumed to listen to the voice recite the very words he was reading. Vio mouthed it along with the voice.

“He burst out laughing, and cut himself. This razor was old, and vicious, and...” the voice stuttered, “And...and and and and,” it repeated, trying to find the words following, “...ah, yes, and it despised the blood in his veins. And so—

“—Would you like the details?” asked the voice angrily, and Vio could imagine it throwing its hands in the air, “The spasms, the retching...the...the...ah, damn it.”

Softly, Vio recited for the voice, “The murderous ineptitude of doctors, the paralysis of the tongue, the choking, the clamping of the jaw, the blood-black face, the eyes pleading for oxygen, the—“

'Henry,' the voice did not shout on-cue. Instead, Vio was met with silence once more. Even the cicadas were silent.

“What the hell?” finally said the voice.

Thump. Thump. Thump.  And it peered over the  edge of the  roof.  Instantly, Vio recognized its face, and he recoiled slightly.

“VIO?!”

“SHADOW?!”

“ What the hell are you doing here?!”

“What am  _I_ doing here? I  _live_ here! What are you doing on the  _roof_ ?!”

Shadow grunted, then he slipped off the roof and landed onto Vio's balcony.

“Oh, for the love of Hylia. Don't be reckless! I don't want to be responsible for your death!” Vio scolded, rubbing his temples.  Vio could have sworn that, at that moment, Shadow grinned in some kind of triumph, but it was hard to tell. Vio crossed his arms, shaking his head in disbelief, “Shadow, what are you doing here?  Why were you on the roof? I need answers to my questions.”

“ Practicing.” Shadow responded simply, shrugging.

“Oh, yeah. That makes perfect sense.” Vio said with biting sarcasm, “That does  _not_ answer my questions, and it's probably a big lie. A, wouldn't you practice on, oh, what was it again, ah, yes, the  _floor_ ? And, B, wouldn't you be practicing, um, let's see,  _your_ part?”

“ Why do you care? What if I just like practicing on roo ve s? And what if I like to practice parts that aren't my own?” Shadow snapped.

Vio blinked to Shadow, still completely dumbfounded. “ Okay.”  Then, with no hesitance, took Shadow by the shoulder and opened the balcony doors quickly.

“Aw, ow! Hey, hey, hey. Let  _go_ of me!”

Vio did, and he motioned to the front door, “Goodnight, Shadow. Please don't practice on any more rooves.”

Shadow huffed, subtly, and then he forced a frown and marched across the living room to the front door. He opened it, and left without a word.

Vio sighed, and looked to the time on the microwave. It read close to midnight. Vio yawned, and tiredly, he thought,  _maybe I should go to bed now_ . Maybe for fear that more weird things might happen if he stayed awake.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I'm entirely satisfied with the end of the chapter, but I'll post anyway! Have a good weekend, all! ^^


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